Coggins John, Saito Marina Hosotani, Cook Rebecca, Urata Shinji, Urata Megumi, Harsell Nantian Lin, Tan Wilhelmina Nanrui, Figueira Bibiana Toro, Bradley Megan, Quadri Nadia Z, Saripada Janisah Amirah I, Reyna Rachel A, Maruyama Junki, Paessler Slobodan, Makishima Tomoko
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA.
School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
BMC Oral Health. 2025 Jan 23;25(1):121. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05420-9.
With altered sense of taste being a common symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the main objective was to investigate the presence and distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the tongue over the course of infection.
Golden Syrian hamsters were inoculated intranasally with SARS-CoV-2 and tongues were collected at 2, 3, 5, 8, 17, 21, 35, and 42 days post-infection (dpi) for analysis. In order to test for gross changes in the tongue, the papillae of the tongue were counted. Paraffin-embedded thin sections of the tongues were labeled for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigen.
There was no difference in fungiform or filiform papillae density throughout the course of infection. SARS-CoV-2 antigen was observed in the vallate papillae taste buds (3-35 dpi) and autonomic ganglia (5-35 dpi), as well as in the serous and mucous salivary glands of the posterior tongue (2-42 dpi).
The presence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 suggest that the virus could cause taste disturbance by infecting the vallate papillae taste buds. This effect could be exacerbated by a diminished secretion of saliva caused by infection of the serous salivary glands and the autonomic ganglia which innervate them.
味觉改变是2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的常见症状，主要目的是研究严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）在感染过程中在舌部的存在情况和分布。
将叙利亚金黄地鼠经鼻接种SARS-CoV-2，并在感染后2、3、5、8、17、21、35和42天（dpi）采集舌部进行分析。为检测舌部的大体变化，对舌乳头进行计数。对舌部石蜡包埋薄切片进行SARS-CoV-2抗原标记。
在整个感染过程中，菌状乳头或丝状乳头密度没有差异。在轮廓乳头味蕾（3 - 35 dpi）和自主神经节（5 - 35 dpi）中观察到SARS-CoV-2抗原，以及在舌后部的浆液性和黏液性唾液腺中（2 - 42 dpi）也观察到该抗原。
SARS-CoV-2的存在和分布表明，该病毒可能通过感染轮廓乳头味蕾导致味觉障碍。由浆液性唾液腺及其支配的自主神经节感染引起的唾液分泌减少可能会加剧这种影响。
